Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-12-08

progress. -buL IL III tAo cluSASeHSy IilS1o
presses upon us our manufacturers
thing for the public good and
avert disaster, their patriotism, as
well as O grateful recognition of advant-
ages already afforded, should lead them
to willing cooperation. No demand is
made that they shall forego all the bene-
fits of governmental regard; but they
cannot fail to be admonished of their duty
as well as their enlightened self-interest
and safety, when they are reminded of the
fact that financial panic and collapse, to
which the present condition tends, affords
20 greater shelter or protection to our
manufactures than to other important en-
terprises Opportunity for safe, careful
and deliberate reform is now offered; and
none of us should be unmindful OF
time when ali abused and irritated peo-
pie, needless of those who have resisted
timely and reasonable relief, may insist
upon q radical and sweeping ratification
of their wrongs. The difficulty attend
ing wise and fair revision OF our tariff
is not under estimated. 1t will require
on the part of the congress great labor
and care, and especially broad and ra-
tional contemplation of the subject and a
patriotic disregard of such local and
selfish claims as are unreasonable and re-
gardless of the welfare of the entire
country.
Under our present law more than 1000
articles are subject to duty. Many OF
these
Do Not in Any Way Compete
with our own manufactures and many
ore hardly worth attention as subJects OF
revenue. A considerable reduction can
be made in the aggregate by adding them
to the free list. The taxation of luxuries
presents no features of hardship; but the
necessaries of life, used and consumed by
all the people, the duty upon which adds
to the cost Of living in every home, should
be greatly cheapened.
The radical reduction of the duties i'm
posed upon raw material used in manu-
factures or it's free importation is OF
course an important factor in any effort
to reduce the price of these necessarles;
it would not only relieve them from the
| increased cost caused by the tariff ON
such material, but the manufactured
product being thus cheapened, that part
| of the tariff now laid upon such
product as compensation to our manu-
| facturers for the present price OF
raw material could be accordingly modified:
| Such reduction or free importation would
l
| is not apparent how such q change can nave
| any injurious effect upon our manufacturers
| On the contrary, it would appear to give them
/ better chance in foreign markets with the
manufacturers of other countries, who cheap
4 en- their wares by free material. Thus our peo-
| pie might have the opportunity OF extending
Y their sales beyond the limits OF home consunp-
4 tion, saving them from the depression, inter-
! ruption in business, and loss caused by glut-
4 ted domestic market, and affording their em-
! p1oyes more certain and steady labor, with It's
! resulting quiet and contentment.
The question thus imperatively presented for
\ solution should be approached in a spirit
Y higher than partisanship, and considered in
4 the light Of that regard for patriotic duty
i which should characterize the action OF those
4 intrusted with the veal of contding people.
Butthe obligation to declared party policy and
4 principle, is not wanting to urge prompt and
4 effective actEon. Both of the great political
I parties now represented in the government
4 have, by repeated authoritative declarations,
i Condemned tho Condition Of Our Laws.
4 which permit the collection from the people Of
4 Unnecessary revenue, and have. in the most
Il solemn manner, promised its correction: and
4 neither rs citizens or partisans are our coun-
l trymen in q mood to condone the deliberate
violation Of these pledges. Our Progress to-
h ward q wise conclusion will not be improved
by dwelling upon the theories Of protection
and freetrade. This savors too much of ban
dying epithets, 1t is a condition which con-
fronts us, not a theory. Relief from this con-
ditiOa may involve a slight reduction Of the
advantages which we award our home prodnc-
TONS but the entire withdrawal of such ad-
vantages should not be contemplated. The
question Of free trade is absolutely irrelevant,
and persistent claim made in certasn quarters
that all efforts to save the people from unjust
and unnecessary taxation are schemes of So
called free--raders, is mischievous and far re-
moved from any consideration for the public
good. The simple and plain duty which we
owe the people is to reduce taxation to the
necessary expenses of an economical operation
of the government. and to restore to the busi-
ness Of the country the money which we hold
in the treasury through the perversion of gov
ernmental powers. These things can and
should be done with safety to all our indus
tries, without danger to the opportunity for
remuderatiye labor which our workingmen
need, and with bere eft to them and all our
people by cheapening their means Of subsist-
ence and increasing the measure Of their COM
forts. GROVER CLEVELAND,
Washinpton Dec 4